Thinking about a new job after coronavirus? Don't make this giant mistake How to properly vet your prospective employer before you say yesHow to properly vet your prospective employer before you say yes.

Nasdaq ends 1.4% off record close as stock-market lurches higher, following economic data pointing to less severe COVID-19 downturn The stock market has climbed higher as civil unrest plays out across AmericaU.S. stocks finished higher Wednesday, adding to several sessions of gains that left major equity benchmarks at their loftiest levels since early March.

75% of frontline workers in New York are people of color — and 2 million people in the U.S. do NOT have access to running water Tuesday's top personal finance stories Tuesday's top personal finance storiesTuesday's top personal finance stories

Warning of ‘green swan’ risks, climate group Ceres and bipartisan supporters lay out 50-step plan for markets and regulators U.S. lags counterparts in China, Europe, the U.K., South America and Canada in responding to climate change as a systemic risk — including in tie-ins with COVID-19 responseA new report outlines how and why U.S. financial regulators, who are responsible for protecting the stability and competitiveness of the U.S. economy, need to recognize and act on climate change as a systemic risk

Work-from-home productivity pickup has tech CEOs predicting many employees will never come back to the office Silicon Valley leaders tell MarketWatch they agree with Twitter’s stance on allowing workers to stay at home forever if they wishIf you rebuild the workplace after COVID-19, will the workers ever come back? In Silicon Valley, the answer from many tech companies is that many won’t, and maybe that is a good thing.

How companies are becoming creative with accounting during the COVID-19 pandemic COVID-19 is leading to new non-GAAP metrics—and could prompt companies to dump all sorts of costs into periods affected by the crisisThe COVID-19 outbreak has brought out some creative accounting at companies, as executives attempt to gauge the impact of the pandemic on their businesses and how they would have performed if the crisis hadn’t all but shut the economy down.

Victoria’s Secret will close about 250 stores in the U.S. and Canada this year, stock soars L Brands still plans to spin off Bath & Body WorksL Brands still plans to separate Bath & Body Works into a standalone company, and is closing Victoria’s Secret stores in preparation.

Aurora Cannabis makes its long-awaited push into the U.S. with Reliva CBD acquisition Aurora shares surge nearly 30% in the extended sessionOver a year after Aurora Cannabis Inc. executives started publicly talking about making a push into the U.S. market, the company has made its move: the $40 million all-stock purchase of a cannabidiol maker called Reliva.

Aurora Cannabis on CEO search during a pandemic: drone tours, no handshakes Interim chief executive Michael Singer says Aurora is using video meetings and drone tours of facilities, and is willing to hire a new leader without an in-person meetingAurora Cannabis Inc. may end up hiring a new chief executive without ever shaking their hand or meeting in person.

Marijuana retailer Curaleaf says growth to continue amid coronavirus pandemicCuraleaf Holdings Inc. Monday reported revenue that came in below the consensus estimates. The American weed retailer reported a first-quarter net loss of $15.1 million, which amounts to 3 cents a share, widening from $10.2 million, or 2 cents a share, in the year-ago quarter. Total revenue rose to $96.5 million from $35.3 million a year ago. Curaleaf's total revenue consists of its own retail and wholesale revenue of $77.1 million and $19.4 million of revenue from management fees. Curaleaf said its revenue growth was in part due to new stores operating in Florida, Massachusetts and New York, among other states. Analysts polled by FactSet had expected revenue of $98.4 million. The company's chief financial officer said that executives are predicting revenue will continue to grow in the second quarter, despite COVID-19 restrictions in Massachusetts, which has halted recreational sales, and Nevada, which allowed only cannabis delivery when the state issued lock-down orders. Curaleaf reported it had $176.4 million in cash at the end of March. U.S.-traded shares of Curaleaf have gained 4.4% this year, as the S&P 500 index fell 11.4%. The stock does not trade after hours in the U.S.

People can’t wait to go golfing, boating and camping — and these ‘great outdoors’ stocks may be the beneficiaries The Covid-19 lockdown has kept consumers inside for weeks. ‘People are more likely to do these things than get on an airplane and fly to Europe for their summer vacation,’ says money manager Eric Marshall at Hodges Capital Management.The Covid-19 lockdown has kept consumers inside for weeks. ‘People are more likely to do these things than get on an airplane and fly to Europe for their summer vacation,’ says money manager Eric Marshall at Hodges Capital Management.

Hertz’s stock falls to record low after ‘going concern’ warning is issued with debt-relief deadline approaching Rental-car company to ‘transition’ 12,000 furloughed employees to permanent job cuts as COVID-19 results in revenue ‘free fall’Shares of Hertz Global Holdings Inc. tumbled to their lowest-ever close Tuesday after the rental-car company issued a “going concern” warning, to go along with its disappointing first-quarter results and as a deadline to negotiate debt relief with its lenders approaches.

How Eventbrite believes it will survive the pandemic Company sees small and medium-size events coming back, while large events will take a lot longer to returnThe top executives of Eventbrite Inc. told Wall Street that the company will survive the pandemic through many steps it has taken, including a massive restructuring, but they are still pinning the future on live events ticketing, because ultimately people need to be around other people.

Hertz to restore executive pay amid heavy workload as it looks to dodge a default CEO’s base salary in 2019 of $1.45 million represented 15.9% of her total compensation of $9.14 millionHertz Global Holdings Inc. disclosed Tuesday that it was restoring the salaries of senior executives to pre-COVID-19 levels, given the heavy workload required as the car rental company looks to fend off a default.

Disney earnings plummet more than 90% as coronavirus wipes out more than $1 billionWalt Disney Co. profit dove more than 90% in the second quarter, an example of the drastic effects on the company from the COVID-19 pandemic, which executives said cost the media giant more than $1 billion in sales just in its theme-parks division.

Coronavirus update: Global case tally passes 3.5 million; Trump and senior officials continue to lash out at China J. Crew files for bankruptcy and GE announces permanent job cuts at its aviation unit; global deaths top 250,000The number of cases of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 climbed above 3.54 million on Monday, as President Donald Trump and senior members of his administration continued to lash out at China, where the virus was first reported late last year.

Denny's stock tumbles after first-quarter same-store sales slump 6.3%Shares of Denny's Corp. fell 7.4% in Monday premarket trading after the diner chain said first-quarter same-store sales fell 6.3%. Same-store sales each week for the month of April fell between 72% (week ending April 22) and 79% (week ending April 1). As of May 1, nearly three-quarters of Denny's locations (74%) were operating as largely or entirely for takeout and delivery. Denny's restaurants are a mix of company-owned and franchised. The company has put franchisee relief measures in place, including deferment of royalty and advertising fees. The company has also taken a number of cost-saving steps, including reduced staffing at its restaurants and pay cuts for the board, executives and management. As of May 1, Denny's had $51.1 million of cash and equivalents. The company has $43.6 million left from its $338 million revolving credit facility. Denny's is scheduled to report first-quarter earnings on May 14. Denny's stock has dropped 42.6% over the last year while the S&P 500 index is down 3.9% for the period.

Neiman Marcus is likely just the start: Analysts expect 100,000 stores to close by 2025 Executives at Keds and K-Swiss think their sneaker brands will get a boost from coronavirus-related trendsUBS analysts think permanent store closures will jump as the coronavirus pandemic speeds e-commerce adoption.

Coronavirus update: German infection rate ticks higher after reopening moves, offers lesson to U.S. governors Caterpillar says 75% of facilities are operating and Merck expects virus to shave $2.1 billion off full-year revenueU.S. governors pushing to reopen their states after COVID-19-driven lockdowns may want to look to Germany on Tuesday, where early attempts to lift restrictions on movement had led to an increase in the coronavirus infection rate.

Chico's shares soar after plan to start reopening stores announcedShares of Chico's FAS Inc. soared 15.1% in Tuesday premarket trading after women's apparel and accessories retailer announced plans to begin reopening stores on May 4. Chico's portfolio includes the namesake chain, White House Black Market and Soma. The reopening will happen in three phases: first the company will use its stores to fulfill online orders, then buy-online-pickup-in-stores using contactless curbside pickup and, finally, shop by appointment for all of its brands. "We believe we will have some significant advantages in the next several months as the majority of our stores are under 3,500 square feet and are located in easily accessible shopping plazas," said Chief Executive Bonnie Brooks in a statement. "Due to the smaller size of our boutiques, Chico's FAS has the ability to reopen quickly and safely and to follow enhanced safety precautions." Brooks says Chico's has experienced double-digit digital growth over the past six weeks. The growth was driven by certain categories, including active and sleep, and, according to Brooks, a tech enhancement. Store management was given a handheld device containing proprietary styling software, Style Connect, that "allows for intimate but distanced connection" with customers. The majority of Chico's associates were furloughed on April 1, hours and pay were reduced for most remaining associates, and pay was halved for executives and the board. Distribution center workers have received their full pay. For the 13 weeks ending February 1, same-store sales were up 2.2%, after three consecutive quarters of negative same-store sales. For the four weeks ending February 29, same-store sales were up 2.7%. As of April 27, Chico's had about $103 million in cash and equivalents on hand. Borrowings on an asset-based credit facility and by leveraging its own real estate could yield an additional $100 million in liquidity. The company also has a one-time liquidity benefit of $95 million under the CARES Act. Chico's has reduced weekly cash burn "significantly" in the past few weeks, and Interim Chief Financial Officer David Brooks says the company has taken action to cut operating expenses by 30%. First-quarter results will be announced on June 10. Chico's stock has plummeted 65.6% over the past year while the S&P 500 index has slipped 2.1% for the period.

When Google CEO Sundar Pichai took over Alphabet, his compensation jumped to more than a quarter-billion dollars Stock grants push Pichai’s executive compensation for 2019 to more than $280 million, topping the $200 million he received in 2016When Sundar Pichai was named the chief executive of Alphabet Inc.’s main division, Google, he received compensation of nearly $200 million, most of it in vesting stock awards. That pay package seemed hard to top, but when Pichai took over the rest of Alphabet late last year, he received even more.

Companies reveal their plans for what work will look like when America returns to the office Across industries and regions of the U.S., companies are planning how to open up their offices again in a world changed by COVID-19MarketWatch spoke to companies across the country in different industries to gauge their back-to-work plans, and what they shared provides a glimpse into significantly different work and commerce environments.

S&P 500 companies spent $7 trillion on buybacks and dividends and “been rewarded’ by coronavirus bailouts, says Social Capital CEO ‘That kind of behavior makes no sense,’ Chamath Palihapitiya says about buybacks and dividend payouts over the past decadeChamath Palihapitiya, chief executive of venture-capital firm Social Capital LP, argued during an interview on CNBC’s “Fast Money Halftime Report” that stock repurchases by corporations are a bad use of funds and have left companies vulnerable to this current COVID-19 crisis.

Here’s how Global CEOs think the coronavirus recovery will look as business activity plungesMost CEOs around the world expect a slow U-shaped recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new report.

Here are the 13 stocks at risk as share buybacks are set to plunge, say Jefferies analysts Share repurchases account for more than 20% of EPS growth over past five yearsA sea change in the view on stock buybacks will hit some stocks harder than others, according to a analysis by Jefferies. Here’s how.

Abigail Disney attacks Disney’s decision to furlough workers: ‘What the actual f—?’ The heiress responded to a report that the company will keep paying executives over theme-park employeesThe Disney heiress responded to a report that the company will keep paying executives over theme park employees

Netflix coronavirus subscription boom may be ‘as good as it gets,’ stock sinks Record subscriber gains overshadowed by fear of a weaker second half once lockdown orders are liftedNetflix Inc.’s blowout quarterly results haven’t been greeted with too much enthusiasm from investors amid concerns that the company will have trouble keeping up the wave of good news after getting a big initial bump due to global lockdown orders.

COVID-19 and climate change: ‘The parallels are screaming at us,’ says John Kerry Former Secretary of State was a first #EarthDay participant 50 years agoThe deadly COVID-19 pandemic has “made more people value science, flattening the curve has given proof of concept to the fact that when lives are on the line, and as people understand that their daily decisions are connected to the lives of others, people everywhere will mobilize,” says former Secretary of State John Kerry.

Johnson & Johnson execs offer upbeat view of second-half recovery from COVID-19 pandemic Here’s how Johnson & Johnson expects the pandemic to impact its 2020 performance: first quarter (initial impact), second quarter (significant impact), third quarter (stabilization), and fourth quarter (recovery)Johnson & Johnson executives had a surprisingly rosy take about an economic recovery in the second half of the year even as the COVID-19 pandemic cratered the company’s $25 billion medical device business in the first quarter of 2020.

Coronavirus update: 2.02 million cases worldwide, 130,528 deaths; Trump move to defund WHO draws rebuke Best Buy has retained 70% of sales during crisis, as toilet-paper sales allow Procter & Gamble’s to boost dividendThe number of U.S. cases of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 rose above 610,000 on Wednesday, as President Donald Trump suspended funding to the World Health Organization, drawing criticism from other world leaders and health officials during the middle of the pandemic.

As cannabis industry stays largely quiet on coronavirus, this CEO has been sounding the alarm Organigram began making changes to operations in February as COVID-19 spread across the globe, has temporarily laid off roughly half of its staffAs the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the globe, Organigram Holdings Inc. was one of the first cannabis companies to begin to warn investors about the impacts on its business and the industry.

East Coast governors create joint council to open up economy again The news comes amid President Trump’s insistence that the move falls to the president, rather than the state governmentsOne important piece of the puzzle will be deciding when to reopen schools.

Coronavirus update: 1.54 million cases worldwide, 93,425 deaths and millions of Americans seek jobless benefits GE offers first glimpse of how the coronavirus is impacting its business and Starbucks says it has halved quarterly earningsThe number of Americans seeking jobless benefits soared again on Thursday, in the latest sign of how the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is impacting all sectors of the economy, as companies are forced to furlough and lay off workers

Coronavirus update: 1.46 million cases worldwide, 85,397 deaths; Wuhan lifts travel ban, while U.S. case tally tops 400,000 Arconic is cutting 10% of its workforce, and McDonald’s has raised $6.5 billion in debt to boost liquidityThe number of U.S. cases of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 rose above 400,000 on Wednesday, as companies continued to cut costs and furlough workers as they close offices and idle plants to prevent the spread of the deadly illness.

Former Google CEO: ‘This is the first time as a species we have had to face the same problem as a planet’The pandemic-economic crisis underscores the necessity for a national broadband policy to reach rural areas, and a more even playing field for the economically disadvantaged who either don’t have access to laptops or Wi-Fi.

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